Nakashiobara Onsen
Nakashiobara Onsen is a hot spring town in Tochigi, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 42–51°C, hot. Officially the water is classed as simple spring, chloride spring and bicarbonate spring.
Getting there
- Train to Nishi-Nasuno Station (JR)
- Local bus, about 45 min
The water here
Simple spring
Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.
Chloride spring
Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.
Bicarbonate spring
Smooth, slightly slippery water. Often nicknamed bihada-no-yu, the water for beautiful skin.
Things to see nearby
Places from Wikidata, photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Distances are in a straight line from the town.
With tattoos
Many public baths still turn away visible tattoos, and the rule is set by each bath, not by the town. The reliable way round it is to bathe privately: a room with its own open-air bath, or an inn with a private bath you can book for yourselves.
Where to stay
Hot spring towns nearby
Similar water elsewhere
The numbers
- Water temperature
- 42–51°C
- Address in Japanese
- 栃木県那須塩原市中塩原
Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.
Where it is
36.9785, 139.8119 — open the map
Read more
Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.